March The FRAC Act mandating more oversight is reintroduced into the House and Senate. It is still in committee.

1976 In response to energy shortages, the DOE launches the Eastern Gas Shales Project, a joint research project between state, federal, and private industrial organizations to research “unconventional” natural gas resources.

June The Department of Energy funds AltaRock, a project to extract renewable energy from hot bedrock by using fracking to drill more than two miles deep. The test, which was the Obama administration’s first major geothermal venture, is cancelled quickly due to concerns about causing an earthquake.

December The Department of the Interior holds a forum to discuss the impact of current drilling practices and to consider a policy requiring companies to disclose the chemicals they use for fracking. President Obama has spoken in support of such a policy, but no official rules have been implemented.